Updated September 11th 2024, 00:09 IST
NASA recently captivated space enthusiasts with a breathtaking image of the Red Spider Nebula, a planetary nebula located approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius. The image, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, showcases the nebula’s striking features and has garnered widespread attention on social media.
"The Red Spider Nebula harbors one of the hottest stars known, which heats the gas around it to form shockwaves 62 billion miles (100 billion km) high," NASA wrote in their post. "These waves form the spider-leg-like arcs in this image, with the star resembling a black widow's hourglass at the center."
The image vividly depicts "orange waves of hot gas, resembling the curved legs of a black widow spider, surround a pinkish glowing core." The background is adorned with countless white points of light, adding to the celestial wonder of the scene.
This awe-inspiring photo, credited to the European Space Agency and Garrelt Mellema of Leiden University, has received nearly 600,000 likes since its release. The post has also sparked numerous reactions and discussions among social media users, further amplifying the public’s fascination with space and its wonders.
“Does this red spider nebula have any other names? Does it have any other origin? Well this is the only spider I love and not scared of!”
“the universe is just the inside of a cup of coffee.”
“The first photo looks like a baby dragon.”
“Such beautiful and powerful phenomena.”
“Amazing! It looks more like a cosmic reptile with that eye.”
Published September 11th 2024, 00:09 IST